iPad recommendations
After reserving a Steam Deck twice, and letting it drop, trying to get FTL running acceptably with touch controls on my old generic Windows Tablet, and doing the bulk of gaming and leisure time with my phone, I wonder if the best solution to my varied tech needs might be just to bite the bullet, turn in my Android cred and take a walk on the iPad side. I haven't used an Apple device regularly since my iPod touch from ten years ago and ever since that was stolen, I was all Android, all the time. But if I want a device to read comics (PDFs, Kindle/Comixology, Hoopla), watch streaming (Netflix, Prime Video, Youtube), try out games (Apple Arcade, Xcloud Web) but have the option to go back to my old reliables (FTL, Binding of Isaac), should I consider dropping $200 on an older iPad and see if it fits my needs? Should I do it now, or wait on rumors of new ones in October? I know they're supported for longer then the average Android, but at the same time, I don't want to pick one up just in time for it to be a security risk either.
iPads, in my opinion, are pretty easy to shop for right now. Before I get into it, I would recommend against an older used model. Main reason is the base level iPad is really good for the price, and then you have all the advantages of a new device. One of the biggest is a longer support window, and, if you are clumsy with your devices, AppleCare plus.
If you want something cheap, get the base model iPad. It is really good at what it does. For all of your needs, it will work just fine.
If you want the best all around bang for your buck ipad, get the iPad Air.
If you want a small screen and portability, get the iPad mini.
If you want a giant screen and have money to burn, get the iPad Pro 12.9.
If you want to spend extra for the best of the best, and you will use this tablet enough to make it worth it, get the iPad Pro in whichever size you prefer. For me, my iPad became my primary content consumption device. Therefore it was worth the extra for something I use everyday. I got the iPad 12.9 with the sweet hdr 120hz screen on it. That and my AirPods spatial audio is often a better experience than my TV and surround setup.
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Now that I typed all that out, I reread your comment and have another thought. You ask if you should pick up an older model to see if it would be useful to you. I think that is probably a good way to go. First, if you have any family that have iPads, ask if they have an old one you could borrow/have, even if it is out of its support window. If not, you can grab an old iPad used for around $100. These will be on an older os, but I think that is a good price to make sure an iPad is actually something you want. Use it for a few months, and see if you even like the iPad as a concept.
If it is out of the support window, keep in mind that it is on an older OS, so some games may not run. That being said, even older iPads should have enough performance to throw at an average game.
Sorry, this got a bit rambly. I hope you can make some sense of it.
Should point out for base model, under no circumstances should you get the 32 GB version.
Sounds like regular size iPad would do wonders for you. Your reading needs complicates the advice I can give you because regular iPad is bigger than the iPad Mini and Mini is better for reading but you also want to have a bigger screen for gaming and streaming. The question is, what kind of performance and future proofing are you looking for?
If I were you, I'd try to get the iPad Air, which was launched back in March and has no chance of being updated in Apple's upcoming October event (which usually covers the iPads and the Macs). iPad Air is $600, but it has an M1 chip, which is Apple's new silicon and it is certainly the future Apple's heading towards. It's as future proof as you're gonna get, assuming you don't want to shell out for the upcoming iPad Pros. I have no doubt the Air would be supported and perform well for at least another 5 years, whereas the regular iPad (which has A13 chip from 2019) is already relatively old. That's not to say it'd be slow, or it would be too slow in the upcoming couple of years1, but it'd simply not be as long lasting as the Air. M-numbered Apple chips are really quite something, in terms of performance and efficiency.
If you're not in a hurry and don't want to spend too much money, you can (and should) wait until the October event where Apple will probably update the regular iPad (currently priced at $329) and will probably put an A15 chip on it, which is the same chip iPhone 13 (regular and Pro) and 14s (regular) have.
Another advice I can give you is, if you're going to get yourself into the Apple ecosystem but don't have the time nor the interest to follow up with the rumors, take a look at this page before buying anything. It gives you concise information about the product cycle of all Apple devices and whether it's a good time to buy them.
I hope I was helpful. Good luck!
1: Just to give you an idea about iPad's performance in general: I have an iPad Air (2nd generation) from 2014 and Apple just dropped its support for the latest iPad OS. That's 8 years of software support. My device runs completely fine for my streaming needs. I don't think it'd run games great and the lack of RAM reminds itself when I switch from one streaming app to another, but otherwise the device runs completely fine. I don't plan on replacing it until my streaming services require a higher version of iOS, which isn't going to happen anytime soon.
I have an iPad mini (5th generation - 2019) that I quite like, but I rarely play games on it. It’s quite nice for web browsing, reading books (including comics), and video chat. It seems plenty fast enough and the right size for handheld use. I don’t believe having the latest model is necessary, so if I had to replace it I’d get a refurbished one.
My wife has a full size iPad that I bought her, but I actually think it’s too big and rather awkward to use.
Before that I went through a couple of Android tablets, but I didn’t see any I liked this time around.
After tossing around options, trying to bootstrap my own tablet, considering a Kindle Fire since they're half off and cheap to begin with, and making peace with the idea that I have enough gadgets and I should make peace with the fact that one more is probably not going to make my life any better, I got a iPad 9th gen used off eBay for $200. We'll see how it goes.
I'll be curious to hear a review!
Review post weekend:
It runs into a lot of the same problems I have with Android tablets in that it's nice to have, but I don't really need it. It's sure pretty, and it has some of the games I like to play, but I'm not going over to use it when I already have a phone within arms reach that I can lose myself in at my leisure. Maybe that will change in time, or I got the crown jewel of my tech heap.
I completely get that. While I was a student, my iPad was probably more valuable than my laptop: I used it for endless reading and note-taking. Now that I'm out of that world, it's just gathering dust on a shelf.
I suspect my tablet requirement are very similar to your own, since we're both heavily into reading comics and gaming, and my old iPad Pro 10.5" had served me very well over the years. Unfortunate, I recently cracked the screen and they no longer make the 10.5, so it would cost more than its worth to fix. It's from 2017, and nearing end-of-life anyways so I'm not too heartbroken, especially since it gives me a valid excuse to finally get a new one. ;)
My next iPad will likely be a Pro 12.9" rather than the 11" though, since I want an even bigger screen for reading comics. So if, like me, portability (and price) is not really a concern, I would recommend considering the Pro 12.9 too. But TBH they're all more than serviceable, even the mini, so I would highly recommend going to an Apple Store before making a final decision so that you can get some hands on time with all the different models first in order to figure out which you prefer.
Even if you go the refurb route that's very unlikely to happen unless you get yourself a reeeeally old model. Apple's support life for iPads is officially 5 years, but it's often way longer than that in practice, since even after they discontinue supporting the latest iOS/iPadOS on particular models they will typically still update the slightly older OS versions with critical security patches.
I always like to go to the local tech store to play around with devices to see how they feel for me.
Did you wind up getting an iPad, @moocow1452? If so, which model and what do you think of it?
Not yet. I was thinking iPod Air, but I'm waiting for the rumoured October iPad announcement to make a final decision. Plus I turned my old Windows Tablet into an Android tablet with Android x86, and that's pretty fun in and of itself.